BARI – «On 09 February 2018 Monica Laera, a member of the Strisciuglio clan, already convicted in the Court of Cassation for 416bis, attacked the TG1 journalist Maria Grazia Mazzola in the Libertà district of Bari with a punch in the face while she was asking questions about her detained husband Lorenzo on the street Caldarola and their son Ivan, as part of an investigation for Speciale TG1 on the mafias and young people in the Libertà neighbourhood, an affront to the boss Laera, who attacked the journalist even though she was already walking away. Laera wanted to “flatly exercise her mafia and intimidating power”, as stated in the motivation of the first degree sentence of judge Giovanni Anglana, who sentenced her to 1 year and 4 months in prison for the crimes of assault with mafia aggravating circumstances, aggravated injuries and death threats. Laera then requested an appeal against the Court’s decision and the first hearing will be held on Monday 13 May 2024 at 10.50 am at the Court of Appeal of Bari”.
Trusting in the work of the judiciary and wishing to make Maria Grazia Mazzola feel the closeness of the civil parties, of the Libera community – already constituted a civil party in the trial – and of citizens, starting from 10.00 am Of Monday 13 May will be organised garrison at the entrance to the Court of Appeal of Bari in Piazza Enrico de Nicola 1. The offended party will be present Maria Grazia Mazzola with the National Secretary Usigrai Daniele Macheda, to reiterate the importance of protecting autonomy and freedom of information. Libera’s civil party lawyer will also be present. Enza Randothe Municipality of Bari in the person of the mayor Antonio DecaroL’Roman Press Associationthe National Federation of the Italian Press and theNational Order of Journalistsall civil parties.
«As reported in the reasons for the first degree sentence of Judge Anglana – continues the Libera note -, “the journalist constitutes a serious threat to the mafia associations, as with his work he is able to cause a serious vulnerability to the wall of silence that protects, in a blanket of silence, the criminal affairs of the clan. […] Mafia associations proliferate and strengthen in contexts in which, thanks to their criminal reputation and related ability to intimidate, they can operate undisturbed, protected by silence and silence, essential to guarantee the subjugation of the population living in the territories controlled by the clans ”. The journalist Maria Grazia Mazzola “did not renounce her right-duty to information, despite being aware of the criminal caliber of the people she would have met”.
The mafia-like manner in which Laera acted was also proven. In fact, it was an act of intimidation on public land, aimed at giving a signal to journalists that they cannot go to that neighborhood to report what is happening.
Libera Puglia, therefore, hopes for a large participation in the demonstration in Piazza De Nicola, because it is important to act as a megaphone for the journalist’s requests, to reiterate that it is not acceptable for a reporter to be attacked in the street and suffer permanent injuries with death threats, and furthermore relaunch the issues of freedom of information and the need for greater regulatory protection for journalists who intend to report on the territory”.
